Some first reactions to DT&T

At last it is here! The DT&T pdf has been sent to Kickstarter backers. It is huge, over three hundred pages. Much larger than I had anticipated. The rules are mostly the same familiar T&T rules that have been with us for decades now. There have been a few changes and updates and lots of expanded options. The three main character types are now even more distinct to each other. Each has strong specialties and unique abilities. Rogues perhaps get the biggest changes becoming more than just the sort-of warrior, sort-of wizards they used to be. Rogues now are the skill specialists. They have the option to gain bonus Talents in Roguish abilities as they advance in experience. In true T&T style there is not a definitive list of "Roguish" Talents, but there is a note that combat tricks are not particularly Rougish, while trickery and stealth might be. The available Kindred get expanded notes on culture and in the elaborations section are thoughts on playing Kindred as their own Types. The monstrous kindred or "Ilkin" are notforgotten either. Also noteworthy is an in depth coverage of Trollworld. This includes colour maps of the continents, including a fun "who live where?" map and a map of the locations of FBI's solo adventures. A number of Kickstarter backers have left their mark in this section.Several pledge leves offered the opportunity to add a location to the map. H'rrrothgarrr's Hovel now has a brief write up in the rulebook by yours truly. There have been substantial changes to the weapon and armour lists. Gone are the pages of weapons with slight variations in damage. Instead weapons are grouped into broad classes of similar weapons and optional rules are given for personalizing individual weapons. Thus a particular style of sword could be given +2 adds for a heavy blade while another is given +3 for keen edges and sophisticated metalurgy. There are two major lacks in the rulebook in my opinion. One is the lack of a comprehensive bestiary. There is not even the table of Monster Ratings by level for common monsters that used to offer a guideline. Hopefully an expanded bestiary will be offered in future. It is a simple thing to assign MRs, but examples are always nice. Related to this is the dropping of Spite Damage as a trigger for monsters' special abilities and attacks. This was a rule that originated with Fiery Dragon and the 7e rules. I liked this rule and will quite likely house rule it back into my games. I should also mention the art. It is fantastic! Many old favourites are here, as well as new pieces and the colour section. So over all DT&T is a solid effort, although some bits I would have done differently. Look for more detailed notes to come.

Elves and Dwarves

There are several kindred of Elves, but all share several traits in common. Physically they are more slightly built than humans, with long fingers and toes. Their eyes tend to be almond shaped and their ears grow to points. Elves continue to grow in height and their ears continue to lengthen, although as they age they grow more and more slowly.

Despite appearances Elves are not completely mammalian, but are in part vegetal in nature. After fertilization and a short gestation a female Elf gives birth to a seed pod about the size of an avocado or mango. This is planted and carefully tended. It soon gives rise to a single fruiting pod within which the embryonic Elf develops. During childhood Elves grow rapidly. They reach a height of five feet and young adulthood within their first half-decade or so of life. This coupled with a slow reproduction rate gives rise to the absence of visible children in many Elf villages.

Elves are generally skilled in magic and often fine archers as well.

There are numerous and varied subpopulations of Elves. Some of the most common include the blue-skinned, gilled Sea-Elves who have webbed fingers and toes, the Wild Elves of the forests who craft weapons of bone and flint, and the noble High Elves who are the Elves most familiar.


Dwarves are another Kindred who despite appearances are not entirely mammalian. In the case of Dwarves they are actually creatures of living stone. Dwarves are not born but are rather hewn from the living rock and animated by means of engraving the life rune somewhere upon their bodies. It is not uncommon for those areas of a Dwarf's body that will normally covered by clothing and armour to be less finely carved and polished than those areas that will be on common view. As a result many Dwarves do not have toes or genitals. Dwarves can be carved in the likeness of male or female and both "sexes" may have long hair and beards, short hair and beards, or be hairless.

Dwarves are possessed of a truly cast-iron stomach. If they can sink their teeth into something they can eat it. Dwarves can even chew and digest metals and stones, indeed they snack on gravel the way humans do on popcorn and nuts. Dwarves are known as prodigious drinkers. They can consume vast quantities of ale and liquor without ill effect because their rocky metabolisms are not affected by alcohol.

Dwarves have an unerring ability to retrace their steps. If a Dwarf has walked a path once he will always be able to walk it again, even blindfolded. Dwarves can also mentally determine the distance and direction from where they are to any place they have been. This does not mean that they know the best path, or indeed any path, just that they know the straight line direction and distance. Dwarves can also smell gold and gems, as well as mineral and metallic ores in ten earth and rocks. This makes them superb miners and treasure hunters.

Gakks Reflux Redux

In his novel "Rose of Stormgaard", certain to be a major motion picture if I ever get locked alone in a small room with, Peter Jackson, and which I compared favorably with JRR Tolkien's magnum opus "The Lord of the Rings", saying that Rose is "shorter and has considerably less poetry, as well as more sex and better fight scenes", the ever creative TrollGod gave us a look at his version of the Gakk.

According to Ken St Andre, the Gakk, specifically the giant purple Gakk, "looks something like a sixteen-legged spider crossed with a lizard and a centaur" there is more to it than just that, but read the book to find out what.

This just goes to show that a simple name and MR can create two very different creatures.

Rose of Stormgaard also gives us some insight into a few other creatures of Trollworld . Living Skelletons are confirmed as a race of men with transparent flesh, and thus are turned to stone if they look at a Gorgon's head. Dwarves and Rock Trolls, being creatures of stone, and Living Statues being creatures of metal are immune to the stoning effect of Gorgons. Also there are the black skinned "Death Dwarves" who are different to Gristlegrimm Dwarves, having more wizards for one thing and speaking a different language for another.

We also get a nice dT&T character sheet in the back of the book and notes on how to run the story setting as a GM adventure.

The Goblyns 'll getcha if you don't watch out

The goblins are one of the most physically diverse Kindreds of the Dragon's Dream. In form they are small humanoids, usually standing between knee and waist high on a man. Larger goblins, usually standing waist to shoulder high on a man are usually called hobgoblins. They may be thin and wizened or grotesquely obese and blubbery. Their skin varies from scabrous, furred, bristled, scaled, slimy, even feathered. Some goblins have tails, horns, claws, fangs, antlers, crests, wattles or other adornments.

Goblins are tricksters and pranksters with twisted and mean humor. They are also acquisitive thieves especially given to appropriating small, bright and shiny objects. They take great delight in the pain and suffering of others, but are themselves cowardly.

Goblins are magically gifted creatures. They lack the discipline and focus to become true Wizards, even if the Wizards' Guild would accept them. But frequently become accomplished Rogues. Many goblins know at least a handful of spells. These spells tend to include those useful for pranks and mischief. Direct combat spells such as "Take That You Fiend" are uncommon amongst goblin spell casters. Most goblins also have the ability to stretch and squeeze themselves through even tiny openings. If a mouse could squeeze through, then so can a goblin!

Goblins are fond of cleverness taking great delight in riddles, puzzles, intricate mechanical devices and the like. Although they are often scatterbrained and easily distracted, goblins are not stupid and many are quite clever. They are lacking in common sense and tend to get caught up in their own enthusiasms which often leads other Kindreds to view them as being stupid.

Goblin society is a vast pyramidal pecking order. The strong, clever or lucky bully or trick others to gain status. A lower status goblin can challenge a higher status goblin at any time, winner gets the higher status. The constant sorting of rank can be quite puzzling to outsiders as goblins constantly poke, bash and trick each other, even while conducting "serious" business.

The various goblin bands and towns present a widely varied character. Some are elaborate and baroque courts ruled over by a king and nobility. Others are small roving bands of warriors and bandits dressed in rags and tatters of armour. There are relatively homogenous tribes of amphibious swamp goblins who resemble frogs and toads. There are forest goblins decked out in colorful feathers, furs, bones, and body paint, often with animal like features. Other groups present a motley collection of individuals with little in common.

Individual goblins may take up a life of adventure joining parties of Delvers. In some cities goblins can be found working in trade or as part of eh underworld.

So That's what that is!

Here are seven new creatures for T&T. Most expanded from a mention in the T&T rulebook, usually appearing only as an MR rating on the monster list. I have let the names and MRs inspire me as to what these creatures might be like. In no way should these be considered the definitive versions of these beasties. They are presented as examples and inspiration.


Lightning Bug
MR: 8
Combat Dice: 1+4
Special Damage: 1/1 individuals do normal spite damage. Take That You Fiend!
Special Abilities: Fly Me, Will-o-Wisp

Small bugs that seem to be made of sparkling, flashing light. Each provides light equal to a candle flame, They flit around in small swarms producing an effect similar to a Will-o-Wisp spell. Touching one will give a small but harmless electric shock. If a swarm is provoked the bugs will collectively produce a lightning strike taking effect as a TTYF! Cast with a WIZ of 1/ 10 the swarm's total MR.

Boojum
MR: 60
Combat Dice: 7D6+30
Special Damage: 1/1
Special Abilities: Imafrawg, Yerafrawg

Boojums are thought to be larger and more powerful cousins of Snarks.
They are also natural shape shifters, but can change the shapes of others as well. They will use this ability to change large, dangerous prey into something small and inoffensive before eating it.

Balruukh
MR: 300
Combat Dice: 31D6+150
Special Damage: 1/2 flaming weapons do extra damage, 6/Glue You opponent becomes entangled
Special Abilities: Fly Me, immune to fire and flame

Balruukhs are large demons of smoke, flame and shadow. They appear as shadowy humanoid figures with great bat-wings and streaming manes of fire. They often wield a weapon in each hand. One is usually an offensive weapon like a sword, mace or axe, the other an entangling weapon like a whip, chain, or net.

Nasty customers indeed, some Balruukhs are also accomplished wizards.

Gurkk
MR: 343
Combat Dice: 35D6+180
Special Damage: 6/Swallow Whole
Special Abilities: None

The gurkk is basically a huge jaw and stomach on legs. They slowly drag themselves about and when they find a place that is likely to yield passing prey they open their cavernous jaws wide and hunker down to wait. When the unfortunate prey steps into the mouth of the creature the jaws snap shut and the prey is often swallowed both whole and alive.

The jaws of a gurkk open a full 180 degrees and the monster will sink down as low to the ground as possible, burrowing into soft soil, leaves, mud, or lurking on the bottom of ponds and rivers.

Any unfortunate that has been swallowed alive by a Gurkk may continue to fight from inside the creature. Add the swallowed creatures hits to the HPT scored against the gurkk. Damage taken may be considered to be the result of digestive juices slowly consuming the unfortunate.

Snark
MR: 39
Combat Dice: 4D6+19
Special Damage: 1/1
Special Abilities: Imafrawg

The true appearance of the Snark remains something of a mystery, indeed many sages and scholars doubt its very existence. This is due to the Snark's innate shape shifting abilities. It is able to take on the shape of any creature. In their natural shape they are small humanoids, about the size of a Hobb or Leprechaun, with horns and a tail. They are mischievous tricksters and love to use their shape shifting to help pull off pranks and to escape from the consequences after.

All Snarks know and can cast the Imafrawg spell.
They may be of any character type. Kindred ability modifiers are as follows.

STR: x0.5 CON: x0.75 DEX: x1 INT: x1.5 LK: x2 CHR: x1 WIZ: x1.5 HT: x0.5 WT: x0.5

Gakk
MR: 13
Combat Dice: 2D6+7
Special Damage: 1/1
Special Abilities: None
The slimy and disgusting Gakk is a sort of cross between a banana slug and a leech, with a mouth full of raspy teeth. It grows to about the size of a man's leg, although specimens as large as a man is tall and even bigger have been rumored. They live in swamps, sewers and other damp slimy places.

Balloonimal
MR: 1
Combat Dice: 0D6+1
Special Damage: Explosive Burst
Special Abilities: Fly Me
These creatures are life sized and very life-like balloon animals. They are dangerous only if popped. They will burst immediately if they take any hits from a cutting, slashing or piercing weapon. When this happens they explode doing damage as a monster with an MR equal to the HPT the balloonimal received. Thus, the harder you hit them, the bigger the pop!

Although they look exactly like a normal creature balloonimals are silent and move by drifting along slightly above the ground not walking on it. A careful observer can spot the difference easily with a Level One SR.

The World of the Dragon's Dream

The confluence of two events has spurred me to begin writing down an exercise in world building for T&T. The first is the impending release of the Deluxe T&T rules. Nothing like a new game to get the creative juices fired up.n the second is my discovery of a pool of local gamers who I hope to lure into playing T&T.

The Dragon's Dream is partly a response to Ken St. Andre's "Trollworld" setting. I have nothing against his world, but it is his, not mine. Part of the attraction of RPGs for me has always been the freedom to create your own worlds and adventures. This is not the first world I have created for gaming. I created my own version of the Starship Warden for Metamorphosis Alpha, including some changes to the backstory explaining how the ship came to be filled with strange mutants and berserk robots. For ten years I ran a home brewed variant of D&D in the world of Archen, a disc shaped world on a pillar of adamant in the void. There have been others not as fully detailed, and I have run in many other people's worlds.

For me different game systems require different worlds. The game mechanics help to define the "physics" of the world. They delineate how "reality" operates in that setting. Magic systems, psionic powers, what races or species are available as player characters, how Faster-Than-Light travel works (if at all) in a Sci-Fi setting, cosmic alignments of good and evil and law and chaos, the existence or absence of "real" gods and supernatural entities. All of these can have a profound impact on the shape of a game world and the games played within it.

To begin, it is important to know that the Dragon's Dream is explicitly a fantasy world. This is actually part of the existential make up of the world. It is not "real". Not even an alternate reality or different dimension. This world is purely a fantasy. The existential cosmic reality of the world is that it is a dream. It is the dream of a great sleeping dragon. The question of the existential nature of the Dragon, whether it has itself any "reality", what world if any it exists in is a separate question, one I have not really explored. For purposes of this world it is enough to say that the Dragon dreams, and that Dream is the world.

The fact that the world is a dream, a fantasy, with no intrinsic or extrinsic objective reality is known only to a very few of its inhabitants. A few philosophers and sages speculate about the nature of the dream and what happens to the world when the dreamer wakes. To most of the inhabitants though the world is just as solid and real as our world is to us.

Being a dream world and a fantasy does have some profound effects on the nature of "reality" within the world. Reality is not a fixed, constant and stable objective thing the way it is in our world. Instead, reality is mutable. The world can change and remake itself. The inhabitants usually are quite unaware when this happens. The way the world is to them is the way it has always been. Magic exists. Magic is raw dream energy, the stuff of which reality is made, called "Kremm" in the T&T rules. The ability to work magic is the ability to reshape reality. Magical energy is gathered and shaped causing the Dream to be reshaped. For some this reshaping is very subtle and almost unnoticed in its effects. Warriors reshape the Dream very subtly and gain increased benefits from weapons and armour in combat by doing so. Dragons reshape the Dream and gain the ability to fly in apparent defiance of natural laws. The world is populated by Elves, Dwarves, Men, Trolls, Urooks, Hobbs, and a thousand other Kindred.

The world of the Dream is as big as it needs to be. No complete map of it exists or is possible. Reality and the world with it are defined in broader and broader loose sketchy strokes the farther from any particular observer one moves. It is entirely possible that one part of the Dream contains worlds that are planets orbiting stars while in another part the world is an endless plate floating in an endless ocean. The world is slightly surreal and phantasmal because it is fundamentally a dream or fantasy.

This is the skeletal framework on which my T&T fantasies are hung. Come with me and let us explore the Dream together.

Here There Be Dragons!

Dragon! Perhaps the most evocative word in all of fantasy. Dragon, great, scaly, winged, fire-breathing, behemoth. Ancient, wise, treasure hoarding, mentor or nemesis. Big, overgrown lizard; kill it, take its treasure and move on. Wait! What was that last bit?

Sadly, dragons in T&T just don't quite seem to measure up. In J R R Tolkien's "The Hobbit" Smaug the great and terrible described himself thusly "My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!" Compare this to a dragon (with flame) from T&T "MR 1760" at level 5. I will grant that 177d6+880 (an average of 1500 hits including 30 spite) on the first round is nothing to sneeze at, but it lacks a certain gravitas.

Traditionally in fantasy RPGs a dragon attacks with the standard Claw/Claw/Bite routine of so many monsters plus a breath weapon up to three times a day. Still rather plain vanilla for my tastes.

My dragons attack with claw/claw/bite/wing buffet/rear foot kick-stomp/tail slap if on the ground and fighting to all sides, bite/snatch/rend/drop if flying, or can opt to breathe/spit or cast spells if they know any. Breath type weapons may include fire, poison gas, cold or frost, lightning bolts, acid spittle, venomous fangs, paralyzing or petrifying gas, and more. Especially clever dragons may also employ magical items such as rings, amulets, wands, staves, potions, even weapons if the weapon is large enough or the dragon small enough. Stooping on a delver like a hawk on a mouse, carrying him to a great height and releasing him to plummet onto rocks below is a great way to crack even the toughest armour.

Speaking of armoured delvers, let us consider the typical dragon-slaying as portrayed in song and legend. The evil wyrm is threatening to devour a fair maiden, usually a princess, and the best and bravest knights in the land decide to rescue her. The first order of business is to hold a tournament to determine who is the strongest and most valorous knight among them. This important question having been decided, the champion polishes his armour until it is mirror bright, mounts his noble steed, usually a snow white stallion and rides off to confront the beast in its lair. Arriving at the mouth of the cave the knight reigns in and issues his challenge to the dragon to come out and face him. In due course the dragon emerges, it and the knight square off, they charge together with great force and the dragon is impaled on the knights lance. Should he lance blow not prove fatal, the knight dismounts and finishes off he wounded monster with his sword. Knight, Lady, and suitable dragon trophies then ride back to feast at the castle.

A pretty story, but what really happens?

The fair maiden in peril is usually just a symbolic stand-in for the economic dangers of having a dragon as a neighbor. Ruined crops, burned villages and devoured caravans are all very bad for business. The younger and brasher warriors likely do have a tournament of sorts, which mostly serves to dull swords, splinter lances, and tenderize, err, bruise bodies. The older and wiser warriors watch as the young hotheads boldly ride forth, sound the challenge and are invited to a barbecue dinner with the dragon. Eventually the older and wiser warriors, together with some wizard friends if they can manage them, get together an assortment of nets, pole axes, poisons and balistae. With these they set out to butcher the dragon. Heavy nets are strung across the entrance of the lair to entangle the emerging beast. Barbed spears and stakes are driven into the ground to curtail the creature's movements. Men are placed above and to the sides of the entrance with pole axes and harpoons, liberally smeared with poison, their job is to hack and pinion the wings, stab eyes, mount and any vulnerable parts they can and get as much toxin into the beast as possible. Spells like Slush-Yuck will be targeted on the stone around the dragon, again to impair its mobility and possible trap it. Take-That-You-Fiend! and other direct combat spells are likely to be of little use initially due to the resistance of the dragon's phenomenally high Kremm. Better to target the environment around the beast.

It as this point that everyone gasps and says "But! That's not a fair fight!" No, it isn't. But in a fair fight the dragon almost always wins, not much of an incentive for the dragonslayers to fight fair, is it?

It is usually a better option to try to talk to and negotiate with the dragon instead. Dragons are well known for their vanity and their love of riddles. Either or both of these can provide a conversational in. Bribery is not generally a recommended tactic. Most of what a dragon wants they are quite capable of taking by force. As for the rest, what king is going to be happy giving away his crown to a lizard?

Having a dragon as a peaceable neighbor or sovereign is not without its advantages. For one thing many of them prefer to spend the bulk of their time sleeping or contemplating weighty philosophical questions (like which weighs more good coins or gold bars?). When they are awake their chief concerns are likely to be eating, defending what is theirs, and increasing the size of their hoard. The first is likely to produce a large but happily infrequent burden for farmers and ranchers. The second coincides nicely with the desire of the people of the realm to live their lives in peace. The third is likely to result in annual taxes and tributes. Some portion of the taxes and tributes can doubtless be raised from tariffs and tolls imposed on foreigners. Another good source of ample gold and riches is taxing delvers. Dragons frequently lair in caverns or mines full of forgotten tunnels and passageways many of which attract undesirable tenants. A resident dragon will often quite happily allow parties of delvers to venture into these spaces as exterminators. To be certain, the delvers will have to pay a large portion of their recovered wealth to the dragon, but may be able to strike a deal for provision of healing magics or other aid in return for their services.

Dragons are more than just a combat encounter or potential ruler however. Lesser dragons are a preferred mount of wizards, sorcerers and powerful warriors. Greater dragons may serve as councilors, mentors to wizards or sages of great knowledge. Dragons are often in possession of spells known only to dragonkind and can work powerful magics when they choose.

Dragons cannot properly be numbered amongst either the "good" kindreds or the "monsters". The majority are neutral, concerned only with their own ends and affairs. Individuals may ally themselves with good or evil causes, sometimes both over their tremendously long lifespans.

Dragons have a tremendous variety of appearance. They may be large or small, serpentine or stocky. Most possess wings, commonly similar to those of a bat although fan-like or feathered wings are not unknown, some dragons fly without the use of wings. Dragons may have two legs or four, rarely six, in addition to wings. Their tails may be hooked, barbed, stinger-tipped, spade-ended or even prehensile. They may be decked with a variety of horns, frills, spines, crests, tendrils, manes, etc. Most are scaled. Scales may vary in texture from fine to coarse. They may be ridged, rough or polished. Some dragons have flat scutes on their bellies like snakes, others sport dermal denticals like sharks, or plates like crocodiles, some even have shelled carapace a like turtles. Occasional dragons will have fur or feathers either instead of or in addition to scales. They are found in a rainbow of colours and patterns. Most seem to be of a single predominant colour with a lighter colour on their underparts. Metallic scales and colours are not unknown. There are reports that the colour of a dragon's scales is determined by the type of breath weapon it employs, but these are not always accurate.

One last point about dragons ought to be touched on here. That is the subject of dragon curses. The treasure hoards of dragons are often protected by powerful curses, the severity of which tend to increase with the age and power of the dragon.

Every dragon seems to know the contents of its horde down to the last cup and coin. Taking so much as a single brass farthing may be enough to alert the beast that someone has been there. The response is often to seek vengeance far beyond the value of what was taken. Whole villages have been laid waste for the sake of a single cup.

Dragon-greed or "gold fever" is a common sickness contracted by those who pilfer a dragon's den. This is an unquenchable thirst for ever increasing amounts of gold. Eventually those stricken become so miserly that they will not part with a single copper and so greedy that they will stop at nothing to obtain more coin, even robbing beggars and stealing from the poor box.

The most terrible curse is that which befalls those who sleep on a bed of dragon's gold. They are transformed into dragons themselves. The transformation may be abrupt and sudden or gradual and subtle, but in the end the result is the same. The new dragon retains the knowledge and much the same personality it possessed before. It must learn to adapt to life in its new form, initially being even unable to speak or use draconic abilities such as flying or breath weapons. Although initially the personality is much he same as it was before the transformation over time it becomes more dragon-like. Desiring solitude, covetous of gold and wealth, arrogant and predatory.

I hope that this will allow for more depth in the presentation of dragons in the game. All of the above can be applied without a single change to the rules. Breath weapon and special attacks can be assumed to count as part of the dragon's MR and described narratively. Spite damage if used can occur in the normal way. If the GM prefers more rules crunch special damage effects, breath weapons, and spells can be triggered by spite damage thresholds as is standard under 7e rules.